The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-11-03

| oi the home article to that extent, and
the consumer pays the whole vi it.
Whatever duty is paid upon the i'm,
ported article, Of course goes TO the Gov
ernment, but whatever is paid upon tn
/, home article goes into the pockets O
the home manu- 'acturer.
The Oh. ect OF protection is to increase
the price OF the article taxed, and the
nearer they come 10 prohibiting its i'm
portat:on the better it suits :hem. :.nd
in this way many millions are extorte,l
iron the taxpayers every year, in adj
dit;on 10 what is paid the Government.
This may be protection 10 few
thouS2nl manufacturers, but it is death
TO the remainder of the American pco-
pie.
The truth is, the word "protcction
is an invention of the Devil TO dee eivC
the people. Its meaning in l rglish is
extortion and robbery.
know it is claimed by protcctionists
that the tariff duties are not paid bv tle
consumer.
In the name of common sense who
then does pay them? Surely the I'M
porter is not philanthropir enough 10
donate the duty to the Government.
He buys the article at the lowest
price possible TO leave a margin CT ro-
fit, and unless he adds the duty lie
must sell at q loss. The retailer mus.
do the same or 60 into bankruptcy, an
the rssuit is the consumer must pay 1t,
and does pay 1t.
Nv 600 friend Gov Foraker denies
all this, and in his article IN the August
F..rum says: Il he old stock argument
of the free trader, that tarin duties are
tax on the consumer, has been so
completely exploded by practical re-
suits that it is no longer heard OF, except
only from those who obstinatcly reuse
to see the conclusive demonstrat' on to
the contrary that abound on every
hand"
Ihos, OF us however, who believe to
the contrary are in very good company,
as will b. seen from a r. port on man
ufactures by John Quincy Adams, the
worthy namcsake of the distinguished
gentleman who addressed us TODAY,
and who discussed this point so fully
that it is hardly necessary for me TO re-
Ter to it again.
Mr.. Adams says: "Tha doctrine that
duties oil import cheaper the price of
The article seems to conflict with the
frst dictate Of common sens. The
The whole mass of the article in the
market. 1t is substantially paid upon
the article OF domestic manufacture IS
we'll as upon that OF fforeien pro 'uction.
Upon one 1t is a bounty. upon the other
a rurlen; and the repeal of the lax
must operate as an equivalent re luc-
tion OF the price OF the article, whether
foreign or domestic. We say, SO lon.
rs the importation continues, the Guty
must be p-iid by the purchaser of the
article"
Some protectionists, however, do not
deny that the consumer paws the duty,
but claim that by go doing tho farmer
builds up manufactures who create a
market for his farm products at prices
SO mu h higher than he would other
wise get that he can afford to pay the
duty and make money by it.
Let us look ct this in tho light of
sta istics.
There are now 6O,ooo, 900 of people in
the United States. OF these accor,iin,
to the last census, only 3,s37,ll2 were
engaged in any form of manuiactur or
mining, and OF thes, not more than !
by any stretch OF the Imagination can
be considered as built up by the tariff.
Take for example brick makers who
number $3.50; Brick AMI stone ma
sons who number 1G2, 4I3; carpenters
ami joiners who number 373, li3 paint
erS and VarnisherS who numb; u.s.
555; plasterers, who numl er 22.OS.s;
roofers an,l slaters who number 4,roi;
shinsle and lath makers who number
5, i6'i, IN all other classes OF mechanics
who assist in building houses.
Low are they helped by the tari ff?
Surely John Bull will not import
horses, even if We had no tariff at all.
What thes, mechanics want is
cheaper material, so that more houses
will be built Take Off the tariff duties
which enter into the building an furn-
ishing OF houses, and you reiucc the cost
at least one third, and that of course
means more houses, and if more kous
then more work, and if more work that
means higher wages, and the larger tn,
de:nan1 the better the price
So with the great army OF biacksmit!;s
172,725, how in the world
can a t,ritF help them? What they
want is cheap iron, cheap steel, anil
chean materials gen erally, 50 that NOR.
POI le can afford to buy the articles
lhey create. SO that with the increase |
demand better prices can be serure,l.
20 W tn coopers numbering ~, l3S.
DIR ssmakers and seamstresses
2:;si :,,2S; tailors AMI tailor
csSes numbering lS1, 75;i, and SO with a
hun red other industries numbering
nearly -,,00l,0 900 more, not one OF whom
is helped by the tariff, but every one OF
whom is hurt by it.
Wnsee therefore that out of all those
employed in manufacturing industries
less than l,00a,000; by anv possibility,
t:n lie helped by high tarii.
Admitting for the sake of Argument |
hat our protective tariff actually does
airport one million of ooerativ,s, does
seem good policy to tax the other !
5,,Np,0 0v0 of workers from 80 to 80 per |
ent ON all they buy in order to keep
:p this one million? would it not lie |
etter to pension them and let them
% moth pg for tie Ialance of their
ives?
low about 100000 of farmers, for
rho n, outside of wool, rice and sugar
'roduccrs no one can show any di-
ect benefit from the tariff is it iair 10
eece them OF at least | of their earn
ngs ior the benefit of the protected one
4 lion?
So with tho 100000 who render
nrvices. and who are neither mechan-
s nor farmers, is it fair to toll them
their earnings for the Leac fit OF the
avor, d i,01l,0O?
The truth is, this whole protection
usiness is an outrage upon the many
DR. the b ncfit OF the few.
By the few do not mean the cntire
,iil;on OF these We have been talking
20 Il, but only the few thousands II
le-n, Who as capitalists have bigged
nc money. The pig-iron kings, The
imber lords, the anthracite coal bar
rs, and the salt nabobs are the ie.-
'ws who have reason to gloriiy pro-
It ton.
Til. claim, however, that tariff for
venue only would destroy. these in
ustr.es is al foolishncss. 1t wou!d
wer priu S doubtless, but the demand
onid lie so mu:h greater tn It lc IN
easel sale although at a lower profit
ould enable them to make as much
o1ey as before, and injur no one.
Nearly all OF the e industries existed
nd iiou.ished in lS.0, and before,
: der an average tariff of ID per cent,
nd there never was time in the hist
y OF The country when they were ex-
net. In fact under low t.:riii, manu-
cturcs IS whole have fourlsheJ
ore than al any other psro! No
)polles were lever, but the general
ls.resS oi the country IVES letter.
Tie truth Is, the W hole brsl eSs s TO
LNait natne, and is IN :.ttcI pit 10
a.c wat run up hill.